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Fusilier Victor aims to make 2012 Olympics

JUDO star Lance Corporal Victor Ahiavor from Tidworth-based First Fusiliers is waiting to hear if he has been selected to compete in the 2012 Olympic Games.

He has recently returned from the world championships where he was beaten by a South Korean competitor who went on to win the gold medal.

But his performance was enough for him to reach the Olympic qualifying standard.

L/cpl Ahiavor was born in Accra, Ghana and took up judo at the age of eight, competing in his first international fight in 2004, just before he joined the British Army.

In September 2008, he joined the British Army judo team and has been competing for the army, combined services and the Ghanaian national team.

In recent weeks, he has won a bronze medal at the Kent International and defended his army title for the fourth successive year. All of this while continuing his military career as a member of the
battalion’s reconnaissance platoon and recently passing his Junior Non- Commissioned Officer’s Cadre and being made a lance corporal.

“I have been training for this for four years now,” he said. “I have had lots of support from the regiment, they have helped me in a lot of ways, I think I am privileged to be part of them and am
so grateful for their support.

“If I am not selected for 2012, I am young, only 26, there are the Commonwealth Games in 2014 and the 2016 Games in Rio, so I have a big chance to be a part of the Olympic dream.”

The regiment has organised fundraising events to enable him to travel and compete in events around the world to help him qualify.

He is currently applying for British citizenship and intends making the army his career.

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